Speaking in an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Dr. Destexhe, who has been closely engaged with Rwanda and the Great Lakes region for decades since serving as Secretary General of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), described the situation in eastern DRC as a fight for survival rather than a matter of territorial integrity.
"The issue in the Kivus isn't about Congo's territorial integrity or sovereignty; it's about the threat to the lives of minorities, especially the Tutsis, who are the primary targets of Kinshasa and the regime," he said.
"These people have the right to live in peace where they've always lived before being forced out."
During recent visits to Goma, the former lawmaker engaged with local communities and M23 leadership, including military chief Sultani Makenga, amid the rebel group's recent advances in the east. He observed that the city was not the war zone portrayed in international media but rather a place where some sense of order had returned under M23 control.
"I was surprised at how quiet and orderly it was. Life in Goma felt normal: people were out in the streets, shops were openâ€"except the banks, which were closed by the Kinshasa authorities," he noted.
He contrasted this with the chaos under the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), whom he accused of extortion and misconduct. According to him, many people in the region saw M23's governance as an improvement over Kinshasa's neglect.
Western double standards
Dr Destexhe was particularly critical of the international community's selective response to the crisis, highlighting what he described as a 'double standard' in the way Western nations handle the DRC conflict.
"When it comes to Rwanda or M23, there's a stance followed by sanctions. With the DRC, they might say hate speech is bad, but there are no consequences," he stated, referring to claims of Congolese leadership spreading hate speech against certain communities and accusations that Rwanda backs M23 rebels.
He also pointed to the influence of the FDLR, a group linked to the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, within the Congolese army, which Rwanda insists continues to pose a threat to Rwanda's security.
"The FDLR has infiltrated the Congolese army's key units, advising them and spreading their ideologyâ€"hatred of Tutsis and the genocide mindset."
MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, also came under fire from the veteran doctor, who dismissed it as a costly failure.
"They've been there 20 yearsâ€"costing at least $1 billion a year and how many civilians have they protected? Very few, I'd guess," he said.
"MONUSCO has a vested interest in staying, but it's not in the Congolese people's interest."
With tensions escalating following the capture of the cities of Goma and Bukavu, the former lawmaker warned that the situation could spiral out of control unless a political solution is found. He suggested that M23's increasing strengthâ€"bolstered by defectors from the FARDCâ€"could shift the balance of power further.
'Kinshasa can't retake Goma and Bukavu… M23 might have the capacity to push to Kisangani or Lubumbashi,' he warned.
"Tshisekedi needs a political solution, or the situation on the ground could spiralâ€"I don't know how," he added.
He called for security for all Kivu residents, regardless of ethnicity, and development of the region's rich agricultural and mineral resources.
To Rwanda and Belgium, where diplomatic ties recently frayed over accusations of Belgium pushing for sanctions against Rwanda, the seasoned lawmaker insisted that 'Sanctions are wrong and unfair… The Kivu issue is about survival for its people, not Congo's sovereignty.'
As a medical doctor, he urged Western nations to reassess their approach to avoid the misdiagnosis that has persisted for decades.
"I'm a doctorâ€"when treating a patient, you first diagnose the illness correctly. If the diagnosis is wrong, you can't treat them. The international community needs a proper diagnosis of the Kivu problem, then a solution. Right now, they're giving the patient the wrong medicine."
Watch the full interview below:
Wycliffe Nyamasege
